U.S. bans Palestinians as Israeli settlers eye West Bank, Gaza
The State Department's sweeping restrictions target members of the Palestinian Authority (PA), and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), claiming they "undermine peace" by pursuing Israel at international courts and supporting "terrorism." While no individuals were named, the decision reinforces Washington's alignment with Israel's hardline policies, even as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right coalition advances plans to reshape the region by military force.
The surprise U.S. move comes days after close allies France, Canada, and the UK, announced they were planning to recognize Palestinian statehood, as early as next month.
Gaza Escalation, West Bank Annexation and Settler Violence Surge
The visa ban coincides with an ever-widening military offensive by the IDF in Gaza, which has already killed more than 60,000 Palestinians, and resulted in the displacement of more than two million more, almost all of whom are now facing starvation due to Israel's blocking of humanitarian aid, and an air, land and sea blockade which has been in place since 2007. It also comes amid a documented surge in settler attacks across the West Bank, where armed colonists—often backed by Israeli soldiers—have torched Palestinian homes, olive groves, and vehicles with near-total impunity. In the past week alone, nine Palestinians, including 5 children, were killed in the West Bank. Seven were killed by Israeli forces, 1 by a settlement security guard and one by an armed settler, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
Israel's Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who controls West Bank civil administration, declared in March 2023, seven months before the Hamas-led October 2023 attacks in Israel, that "there's no such thing as Palestinian people" and vowed to legalize dozens of wildcat settlements. He was speaking at a podium which displayed the state of Israel with expanded boundaries that included the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza and Jordan.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a convicted racist, said in early July: "We must not stop for even a moment. We need to achieve a full victory, occupy all of Gaza, stop humanitarian aid, and encourage migration, not partial deals."
U.S. Shields Israel at the UN Amid Gaza Carnage
The Trump administration simultaneously boycotted a UN conference this week promoting a two-state solution, dismissing it as a "publicity stunt"—a move that underscores America's role in blocking diplomatic pressure on Israel. Despite global outcry over Gaza's humanitarian catastrophe (which has resulted in the death of more than 1,000 Palestinians have been killed when seeking aid ), the U.S. has repeatedly vetoed UN ceasefire resolutions and armed Israel's offensive with billions in military aid.
Meanwhile, European nations—including France, together with Canada, and Britain—are considering recognizing Palestinian statehood at the UN, a move the White House called "counterproductive." Secretary of State Marco Rubio downplayed the moves, describing them as 'irrelevant.' He told Fox News on Thursday: "First of all, none of these countries has the ability to create a Palestinian state. There can be no Palestinian state unless Israel agrees to it."
Israeli Ministers' Blueprint: Empty Gaza, Annex the West Bank
The visa crackdown comes as senior Israeli officials escalate rhetoric endorsing permanent occupation:
Agriculture Minister Avi Dichter (Likud) stated in November 2023 that Israel is executing "Gaza's Nakba 2023", referencing the 1948 ethnic cleansing of Palestinians.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi in February this year called for the "forceful expulsion" of the Palestinian people from Gaza.
Eleven cabinet Ministers and 15 Knesset members attended a conference calling for 'voluntary migration' and Israeli settlement of the Gaza Strip.
Why the Visa Bans Matter
While largely symbolic (the PLO's D.C. office was shuttered in 2018), the move signals unwavering U.S. support for Israel's territorial ambitions. The State Department's accusations—targeting PA payments to families of prisoners and ICC cases against Israel—mirror Netanyahu's longtime talking points. Notably, the statement ignored Hamas, which the U.S. already blacklists, to instead punish the moderate PA, whose security forces coordinate with Israel in the West Bank.
The Bigger Picture
With Gaza in ruins and the West Bank under escalating settler violence, the U.S. visa restrictions reinforce a one-sided approach: isolating Palestinian leadership while Israeli officials map a future of dispossession and apartheid. As the UN warns of "genocidal acts" in Gaza, the Trump administration's actions suggest a green light for Israel's most extreme ambitions—depopulation, annexation, and permanent statelessness for Palestinians.
U.S. Presidential envoy Steve Witkoff meantime was in Israel Thursday, meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Mr Witkoff , together with U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee was expected to inspect the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) distribution centers in Gaza on Friday. Reports say more than 1,000 Palestinians seeking aid at the centers have been killed by Israeli forces.
"Special Envoy Witkoff and Ambassador Huckabee will be traveling into Gaza on Friday to inspect the current distribution sites and secure a plan to deliver more food and meet with local Gazans to hear firsthand about this dire situation on the ground," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters Thursday.
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